Magnify

"My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,” -Luke 1:46

Dear Friends in Christ,

Tomorrow is the Feast of St. Mary, the Virgin. In the Gospel reading for this feast, Mary, pregnant with Jesus, joins her cousin Elizabeth in praising God for his miracles and his mercy on the humble and lowly, undoing the injustice of the proud. Her words are poetry, and the church for centuries has sung this poem, joining Mary in praise of God:

"My soul magnifies the Lord,

and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,”

How do you magnify God? Like a magnifying glass, how do you allow God’s greatness to dominate your view of the world? How do you look for God’s blessing in your life and in others? What are the signs of his greatness in your life, and how to you respond to God when you find them? How do you rejoice in the Lord? How does your life magnify—not your greatness, but God’s greatness?

Join with me in praying this prayer of praise, known to the church by its opening word in Latin: the Magnificat:

Mary said,

"My soul magnifies the Lord,

and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,

for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant.

Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed;

for the Mighty One has done great things for me,

and holy is his name.

His mercy is for those who fear him

from generation to generation.

He has shown strength with his arm;

he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.

He has brought down the powerful from their thrones,

and lifted up the lowly;

he has filled the hungry with good things,

and sent the rich away empty.

He has helped his servant Israel,

in remembrance of his mercy,

according to the promise he made to our ancestors,

to Abraham and to his descendants forever."

-Luke 1:46-55

Yours in Christ,

-Tom